Explore South Carolina

Learn about South Carolina. You may be surprised at what you'll find!  

In addition to the topics below, you can also delve into South Carolina's history by visiting the Social Studies section.

Public schools observe John C. Calhoun's birthday, March 18, as South Carolina Day. 

 

Within this Collection

The Land
Episode 10

Video

The unique geology of the "Fall Line " forms rocky, whitewater rapids typical of the Blue Ridge on the Saluda River near Columbia, South Carolina. Much of the land along this section of river is...
What is Natural? | A Natural State
Episode 2

Video

The natural world pervades nearly every aspect of the Catawba pottery tradition. Nature-inspired motifs include the turtle, frog, black snake, snail, feather and palm leaf, and are often connected to...
Piccolo Labyrinth | A Natural State
Episode 1

Video

Herb Parker's Piccolo Labyrinth, a nature-based sculpture of grass, sod and steel rebar, created a temporary, "quiet, contemplative space" on Charleston's waterfront. As an installation, the sculpture...
Gardens of Change | Palmetto Scene

Video

Raking, planting and laughter could be heard for miles on Saturday as Boy and Girls Club members and community volunteers came together to plant a garden. The garden is a part of the project by the...
Land
Episode 11

Video

Native Americans called it "tree hair." French colonists changed it to "Barbe espagnole," or "Spanish Beard," to ridicule the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Spanish moss survives as its common name...
Touch the Earth | A Natural State
Episode 3

Video

Herb Parker describes his work as belonging to three distinct realms: architecture, sculpture, and landscape. Passageways, thresholds, oculi, seating areas, and planned spaces of light and shade...
Petroglyphs
Episode 4

Video

Rock art at the Hagood Mill site is open to many interpretations. Is the imagery sacred, documentation of historic events, part of a simple amusement, or of a larger pictographic language? The answer...
Broom Handles from Nature | A Natural State
Episode 9

Video

Peter obtains many of his broom handles by collecting driftwood from rivers. Whitewater rivers of the Piedmont and Blue Ridge may yield rhododendron and dogwood, while the flat meandering rivers of...
Petroglyphs
Episode 5

Video

Hundreds, possibly thousands, of years of weathering and erosion rendered the Hagood Mill site petroglyphs invisible to the naked eye. Amateur archaeologist Mike Bramlett discovered several of the...
Friendship | A Natural State
Episode 11

Video

Peter is a physical education professor at the University of South Carolina, where he teaches canoeing and kayaking as a healthy pursuit and a fun way to enjoy nature. In this video, we take a trip to...